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esophageal spasm?

MJ
I have been experiencing what I think is esophageal spasms. Symptoms are excessive spasmodic belching, discomfort in the center to upper chest area, almost like a knot. This becomes most pronounced during periods of stress.  I have been prescribed Prilosec which doesn't seem to relieve my symptoms. However, alprazolam at .5mg eases the feeling and it eventually goes away.  My question is then, is there such a thing as stress-induced spasm of the esophagus?
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Avatar universal
Yes, mj, there is esophageal spasm.  This term refers to simultaneous contractions of esophageal muscle at several different levels so that the normal movement of food down the esophagus is impaired.  Symptoms can include chest pain (may simulate a heart attack) and difficulty swallowing solids and liquids (sensation of food sticking in esophagus).  Symptoms can be precipitated by drinking thermally hot or cold liquids e.g. coffee or ice tea.  Stress can also precipitate symptoms.

At present, there are no universally effective treatments.  Smooth muscle relaxants are often used but benefits are unpredictable.
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VAL
Hi, your posting was most thorough and helpful and reminded me of my own efforts to get help. Holding a pencil  between my teeth was suggested at one point, with no thoughts of how you exist in the world and do that!
In the last year I have found something that improves but doesn't fix my problem, but I am so grateful for some relief that I mention it here.
I was aware that some foods and drinks worsened my problem. I also get arrhythmias and what were called panic attacks, but were always food related. I have now been using a combination of low dose aspirin and a multivitamin with minerals including molybdenum. I did this on the basis that there might be a connection with sulfites, which convert to sulphur dioxide in the  gut, and my symptoms. My symptoms are reduced enormously. From having attacks of 150 beats a minute lasting for some time, I now  get attacks less often, and just over 100 beats. I would love to get rid of it altogether, and stop the short runs of arrhythmia which are so uncomfortable, but believe me, as you know, any relief is wonderful.Good luck in your search. I had the esophageal testing...it is such an ugly experience, isn't it?

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I have been to this board before with questions and comments about what my docs call "intractable belching."  I empathize with all who have had to deal with this or similar conditions.  Hoping that it will be of some use to others, below I outline what I have done to find a "cure" for this awful disease, whatever it is.

First of all, my symptoms:  there seems to be only one that actually bothers me, and that is the intractable belching. I have been experiencing this for 10 months. On "bad" days, which until recently occurred 3 or 4 days a week, I will belch 150 or more times a day.  There has been no discernable cause for this belching --- and as far as a "pattern", there seems to be none.  They just come when they want to.  On days that are not "bad," I still will belch 40-50 times a day.  The belching comes and goes almost randomly;  I will belch 5-10 times a minute for 3 or 4 minutes, then nothing for 10 minutes, then 5-10 times a minute for 3 or 4 minutes. . . . and then after a while, nothing much for an hour or two.  Then the pattern returns.  The belching causes two very uncomfortable feelings:  (1) the esophogus, which is a muscle, or series of circular muscles, hurts, like any muscle that is over-exerted -- particularly since much of the belching is rather "vigorous";  and (2) the belching creates a feeling of semi-nauseousness.  I have only experienced an acid taste on a few occasions, although endoscopy indicated esophogitis and EMT (?) (esophogael motility test) and 24-hour ph probe indicated an abnormal amount of acid in my esophogus.  Again, however, I do not experience acid reflux like others have reported, and indeed the only surefire way to relieve the belching is to lay flat on my back.

[Before continuing with the chronology of my story -- again, for what it's worth -- let me share with you my understanding (based on what I have to estimate as better than a hundred hours of reading everything I can related to this topic) of the "mechanics" of belching.  I, too, seem to experience (perhaps half of the time) belching that results from esophogael spasms.  My reading suggests that these indeed may be spasms -- or simply the mechanics of a belch:  the esophogus, apparently, will contract when it feels gas/air pushing against the lower esophogael sphincter, as a way of opening the sphincter and releasing the gas/air;  this contraction, I believe, is what seems to be a spasm.  My experience is that the contraction seems to suck air into the esophogus, sometimes sounding like what I call a "pre-belch" belch;  the medical literature refers to this as a yo-yo type of mechanism, and apparantly the sucked-in air never even gets to the stomach, but just belches back up, and perhaps drags along the gas/air that is pushing against the lower sphincter from below.  At the same time, I myself have not dismissed the possibility that there is a neurological component at work here, a spasm;  and I guess I need to learn more about the vagus nerve that others have written about on this board.  A neurologist is the only specialist I have not yet seen for a diagnosis of this condition, but that will happen shortly.]

Before outlining my encounters with the traditional medical specialties regarding this condition, let me mention the alternative therapies I have tried:
          1.  chiropractic
          2.  therapeutic massage
          3.  hypnosis
          4.  biofeedback
          5.  acupuncture
None of the first four of these alternative therapies provided any help (although I would strongly recommend therapeutic massage just 'cause it feels good, and anyone looking for answers and encountering, as many of us have, uncaring and unprofessional physicians deserves this treat.

The jury is still out, so to speak, on acupuncture as far as I'm concerned.  I have made two visits to date.  After the first one, I was belch-free for four full days, which was the first time that had happened since the onset of the intractable belching.  My second visit wasn't as successful, but I am determined to continue with this approach (which really does require one to suspend judgement because, on the surface acupuncture has no immediate visible links to hard science) until it has had enough time to work, if it's going to work.

The tradition medical approaches I have used include:

1.  Family doc/internal medicine --- took some time for him to believe that this was something more serious than an embarassing social problem.  Blood tests revealed the presence of the Heliobacter Pylori antibody, meaning that at some time in my life the little bugger had been in my system.  Doc put me on a 14-day antibiotic regime to do away with the H Pylori, if in fact it was still in me.

2.  Upper GI test concluded there was nothing wrong with my upper GI tract.  

3.  Endoscopy.  Concluded, based on tissue samples, that there was no H Pylori in my esophogus or stomach.  But did make a finding of esophogitis and a hiatal hernia.  My question to several docs has been whether the belching could be related to the hiatal hernia, and their responses have been a resounding "no" --- upwards of 40 percent of adults have hiatal hernia and if they caused belching, they say, there would a lot more of us walking around with intractable belching.  Incidentally, the GI doc who did the endoscopy was absolutely the most unprofessional, uncaring, hard-of-hearing physician I have ever encountered --- more about him below because I'm wondering whether he, in fact, missed something when he stuck his tv camera down my throat.

4.  Cardiologist.  I am a 59 year old male who had a heart attack five years ago.  I have read somewhere in these medical websites that if one is having chest discomfort, you'd better make sure it's not your heart that's causing the discomfort.  I've noticed that quite a few people on this board experience heart arthmyias related to GI problems, although there seems to be nothing amiss with my heart at this time.

5.  Endocrinologist.  One or more of these medical websites also have suggested there could possibly be a link between intractable belching and thyroid malfunction.  I have been on medication for hypothyroidism for ten years, but a complete thyroid/blood test revealed that my thyroid is functioning within normal ranges.

6.  Gallbladder Ultrasound.  Revealed a completely normal gallbladder, which in the absence of any typical malfunctioning gallbladder pain was unlikely to be the culprit, but we checked it anyway.

7.  Gastrointestinal Specialist at a "leading national research hospital" -- name not to be revealed by me at this point, pending further reports from them.  Esophogael Motility Test and 24-hour ph test, as indicated above, were conducted -- revealing upper and lower esophogael sphincters working normally, but the "tone" of the esophogus was below-normal (that is, as I understand it, the esophogus itself exerts less pressure in moving food toward the stomach --- although I have never had, like many others here have, any trouble swallowing solids or liquids.)

As far as medications are concerned. . . .no over-the-counter drugs have helped one iota.  I've tried them all -- simethicone
based and calcium based. . .even some licorice-based health food store supplement.

I have been on Prilosec and Propulsid for a number of months.  At first, neither seemed to help at all.  I now believe they do probably help a little --- but it was 3-4 months before they seemed to do any good.  My suspicion is that whatever acid reflux I do have --- although it is strange that I don't "taste" any reflux, despite it apparently being there as evidenced by esophogitis and ph-test results --- is caused by the belching;  that is, when one belches as much as I have been, it is bound to suck some stomach acid up into the esophogus;  at least one of the specialists I have seen agrees that there is probably something to this analysis.

I am presently in the midst (one week along) of an experimental self-treatment.  Thirty years ago I was hospitalized with a duodonal ulcer, and the treatment then included the blandest of diets:   soft-boiled eggs, cream of wheat, half-and-half (and Maalox) for two solid weeks.  I know that ulcers are now blamed on the Heliobacter Pylori bacteria, but I decided to try the diet, minus the Maalox, from 30 years ago.  After 3 days on the diet, my intractable belching disappeared by a factor of 98 percent !!!!   It's just been 4 days of this relief, and the bad belching may return in a day or two.  If the relief continues, however, I will need to figure out "what next".  Obviously, one can't spend the rest of his life eating soft-boiled eggs and cream of wheat.  Also, I will have to have answered the question, why is this "diet" working?  Do I have an ulcer that the endoscopy missed?  Is H Pylori still present in me?  Or some other bacteria or fungal organism?  Incidentally, as far as this "diet" is concerned, it is not as low-fat as I normally eat, so fat does not seem to be the "answer."

One last comment and then I'll call it quits on this very long note.  I've read many physician comments that blame this belching on "swallowing air."  I, like many others who have written on this board, find it hard to believe that this is the best diagnosis they can come up with.  I asked the jerk who did the endoscopy on me when he told me my problem was that I was swallowing air, "Why after 59 years do you think I started swallowing air?"  His answer:  "It just happens."  Dahhh.  A number of different sources suggest avoiding sucking on straws, sucking on lolly pops, eating fast, talking and eating at the same time, etc.  Other sources suggest that changes in diet lead to excessive belching.  My own diagnosis leads me to conclude that since I don't suck on lollipops or straws, and I don't chew gum or eat fast or talk & eat, and when this problem first presented itself I had not changed my diet in any significant way, that the answer to my problem lies elsewhere.  I just wish that some of the so-called professionals I have seen would be a little more caring, listen more carefully, and be a lot more competent.

I hope some of this will be of help to other sufferers out there.

If my "new diet" continues to provide relief, I will report that back here, and hope that it might give others some idea of how they might be able to cure their belching problems.  God bless.





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A related discussion, Slight squeeze, upper chest was started.
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A related discussion, Gastroesophageal reflux Disease was started.
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A related discussion, Breathing problem was started.
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I thought I was the only one in the world with spasms!  I'm seeing a doctor and for right now, before any more testing, he has me on nitroglycerine (whenever I have a spasm).  Does anyone know why he gave me that medicine?  Kind of spooky if you ask me!
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i have the same thing and sometimes i wonder how bad is this belching for me on my throat .and i know its not good on your heart .i also get dark circle under my eyes. sometimes when i eat meat its harder to get up and i feel really bad that i have to put my finger down to make it come up .but you know when i get it out of me. i feel betterand my stomach shrinks and is not bloted.i really would like to eat and not worry about it comming up.                           thanks
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I TOO HAVE BEEN HAVING BASICALLY THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS MOST OF YOU. I HAVE CHEST PAINS, ACROSS MY COLLAR BONES, AND THESE SHARP STINGING PAINS FROM MY CHEST TO MY BACK USUSALLY IN MY LEFT BREAST. DR.DID STRESS TEST ETC. AND SAID IT WAS NON CARDIAC.HAD AN EGD AND DR. SAID I HAD THE ESOPHAGEAL SPASMS.HE CHANGED MY PRILOSEC, PRESCRIBED YEARS AGO FOR GERD, TO PROTONIX AND STARTED ME ON BUSPAR FOR ANXIETY. HAVE RECENTLY QUIT DRINKING CAFFIENE AND TRY TO AVOID HOT OR COLD FOODS. WENT ON A LOW FAT DIET BECUASE OF CHLOSETROL PROBLEM AND LOST 25 POUNDS.MY PAINS SEEM TO COME ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK AND NOTHING SEEMS TO RELIEVE THEM.I DO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A GASTRO DR.NEXT WEEK AND HOPEFULLY HE CAN GIVE ME SOME ANSWERS. THANKS FOR LISTENING.
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After a full year of suffering with chronic "acid reflux" and taking prilosec as needed, which became more and more frequent, I finally sought another opinion and had an endoscopy performed.  The result was a diagnosis of Barretts Esophagus, and fortunately it is non-cancerous at this point.  I am being medicated with Prevacid, taking medication for anxiety, and praying alot.  Does anyone have any experience with this diagnosis, if so, could you share with me.  What can I expect? I have been told once diagnosed and treated, either with medication or surgery, chances of cancer are slimmed considerably.  
Thanks.
Rosebee
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For anyone who needs some info., I was recently at my doc.s office and asked for the liquid form of Levsin.  I am on that because of esophageal spasms or spasm of the gut.  That was one of the last diagnoses the gastro doc gave me last summer.  I take a pill form dose during the day and carry a vial of liquid form with me at all times.  I do feel alittle more secure having the liquid within reach if I should have another attack or should I say WHEN I have another attack.  Weird how this happens to me when I least expect it.  I haven't had an attack since last summer besides the one two weeks ago.  \sometimes it will be a few weeks or sometimes months in between attacks.  Has anyone ever heard of spasm of the gut?  Is it for real?  Or is this another way of a doctor telling me it's all in my head??!!  
(or should I say chest!)  Well for those of us who actually do suffer, thanks for being an ear to tell my troubles to.  It is nice knowing that some people in this world can actually relate.
thanks
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MLS
I started having symtoms a year ago in March when I had to have female surgery.  At first I thought it might be due to muscle tension in my chest area because I could not sit, I had to lay down and I could not move or roll over for approximately 2 weeks because the paid was so great due to my surgery.  The thing that scared me the most was when I began to feel a "strangeness" (lack of a better word to describe) in my chest that felt like my muscles tightening and like something was moving.  It wasn't so much a pain as an ache.  When this happened it scared me and I had the classic "impending doom" kind of feeling and became anxious.  I have also felt intermittent jabs of pain in my upper chest area after this happens.  It's not all the time but it has happened enough times in the past year to make me worry.  I try not to consider myself a hypochondriac.  I too suffered from panic attacks 23 years ago and read Claire Weekes books the same as REYNA (hope you're reading this) and actually met her via the phone and talked with her.  Anyway, I also suffer occassionally from belching, acid reflux, regurtitation, etc.  I notice I do more so in times of stress and when some of my "panic attack days" symptoms return.  My main concern is I want to know if anyone else had had this feeling like something is moving in your chest.  It comes on suddenly, while sitting.  Not precipitated by bending down, heavy lifting etc.  Reyna if you've read this I'd like to converse with you.  Claire Weekes was my savior.
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So much for not wanting to go through an attack again!!!,  Yesterday I was driving my husband to the airport and had to pull over because I felt one of these attacks (spasms) starting.  I had already taken two doses of Levsin and the third pill my husband put under my tongue and rushed me to the nearest ER which was about 20 minutes away!!  Needless to say, about 1 minute before reaching the hospital ER, I started to feel some relief and just started to shake uncontrolably.  The shaking lasted about 1 hour and then I was fine and drove home.  I was extremely exhausted from the whole ordeal and went to bed early and today I feel much better but I am very causious.  i will not drive anywhere alone anymore because I am frightened of these spasms.  Has anyone looked up "achalasia or vigorous achalasia"??
Sounds like what I am experiencing, now I just have to find the right doc. to check me out.  I had to actually ask for a blood test at the ER they only checked me with an EKG.  After that they didn't visit me until I walked out. Hope I don't have to use that place again. Anyone have any suggestions or comments , please feel free to let me know>>  Thanks,  Kristin
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My Husband has had esophagael spasms for about two years, he was seeing a dr about it and heartburn, she had prescibed prilosec, tagamet and other various things.Also he was complaining of a painfull leg. 05/04/00 he broke his leg where that same complaint was,he was told it was a spontaneous break? Two more months went by misdianosed by 11 other Doctors.Finally we went to an orthopedic who dianosed him with esophageal cancer metastasied to the bone. Since then he has had brain and liver cancer, but still has the liver cancer. I have found out that just because you take antiacids it will not nessaccerily take away all stomach acids that can eventually cause cancer. So get a through check up and a second opinion. By the way my husband is only 46 and has always been very healthy.
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My wife has suffered from all the symptoms described in above comments and have gone through all the tests described above and tried all the medication normally prescribed.
The esophagus passes thru the respiratory diaphragm (a bundle of muscles) before entering the stomac. If the diaphragm goes into a spasm for any reason, (which can be stress,imflammation of the diapragm or esophagus, or a trapped nerve), the sphincter valve between the stomac and esophagus does not operate properly and gastro reflux and difficulty in swallowing and discomfort results.
If the nerve between the brain and diaphragm is disturbed, typically where it exits the spinal column at thoracic vertabrae T8 similar symptoms will occur.
The suggested solutions can therefore be (a)to check for inflammation of the diaphragm, esophagus or peritonium in the area, (b)visit a chiropractor to reset the spine and relieve pinched nerves, (c) massage the diaphragm by applying suitable pressure all round the abdomen just below the rib cage until relief is obtained, especially if shortage of breath is experienced which very often confirms spasm in diaprhagm.
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wix
I have also been experiencing what i think is esophageal spasms or something, no one seems to have the answers in the professional field. this is a very new ordeal for me and i have only experienced this for about a month now. i thought at first it was my heart. was awaken one night from a deep sleep with chest pain (or just below the rib cage) and all the way thru the shoulder blades. thought i was having a heart attack, went to the e.r. and was given an aspirin, 2 doses of nitroglycerin, iv's and was told it was not my heart and needed to see my family physician that day. the nitroglycerin seemed to help a little but gave me a slight headache. i then went to my dr. and he to gave me 2 more doses of nitro, which seemed to help but did not get rid of the pain for good. he gave me a script for prilosec which i took but did not help (i even took mylanta with the prilosec) with no relief. went back to him and he upped the dosage with no results. finally had to beg for a gallbladder sonogram which checked out fine, he then referred me to a gastro dr. who recommended i have a egd (endoscopy) that was performed and he found a hiatal hernia and put me on aciphex twice a day. still no relief, but the pain was worse at night(could not sleep walked the floors and held my chest tight bent double.) he then ordered a ct scan of my chest , all good. still no relief and this was effecting my job, could not work, he then questioned me about the stress in my life, didn't feel i had any was doing just fine, had been worse. he then made me feel like it was in my head. and then after that i developed a rash (welp like with itching and redness) went to my family dr. and he said he had never seen this type of rash (no known allergies, no new foods, etc.) gave be a 5 day supply of predisone and zyrtec and told me to go home because he didn't know if i was contagious or not. just recently went to e.r. with chest pain bent double again and they admitted me and gave me pain relievers, have had a hiatus scan (good results), lab tests, xrays, stool specimans, (all good) was scheduled for a ct of the abdomen but was unable to perform this tests due to iv had filterated into my arm and they could not get another vein ( 3 people tried) and i refused for them to keep probing on my arms. finally told the dr. to let me go home because the pain had presided. but that is just it the pain has never went away but some is worse than others. they have rescheduled the ct of abdomen but don't know if i want to do that or not. really disgusted at this time. the most common response i get from most people including some friends is (stress related) or just in my head. it's like one of the other people stated i know my body and this ain't normal, never experienced this before. several months ago i had taken restoril for about a month for insomnia but i quit that because i did not want to get addicted to that stuff. if the pain would go away i could sleep just fine. it doesn't seem to matter what i eat or drink, so i am totally confused. the pain is excruiating and i don't know what to do. sometimes i too get the feeling that my throat is closing up but i really don't get short of breath. i thought one time i had a collapsed lung (have had one in the past) but did not experience the tingling sensation in my arm or the s.o.b. and the inability to take in air. just went back to work today but don't know for how long. usually i can just clutch my chest real tight and bend double and hope it goes away. my sister has fibermyalgia (could this be related) husband wants me to take restoril again to see if the symptoms goes away says maybe i shouldn't have gone off that by myself. don't know about that, don't like relying on stuff like that. i was overwhelmed by this sight, i am so glad i am not alone. does muscle relaxers seem to help anyone, need something FAST. so actually so far according to all the test i'm fine just for the hiatal hernia which the dr says he does not think this is causing that much pain. NEED ANSWERS. thanks alot!
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this is so crazy-i thought i was the only person in the world that had the feeling of a lump in there throat! i have expelled so much time and energy and money to this with no resolve.
it all started one morning in june 1999 for no reason i woke up and felt like there was something stuck in my throat.i even had to take an extensive leave of absense from work because of it.i would take panic attacks left and right.i was very scared to be left alone with my children for fear that i would pass out.my energy levels are depleeting rapidly.as is our bank account due to numerous visits to the local emergency rooms over this problem without having any insurance.i have been on steroids,anxiety meds,pain meds,antibiotics,stomach meds,etc...
i AM a walking drug store at times and i hate it. will we ever feel normal again?
ive been through the bloodtests,the endoscopy,the barrium swallow,the upper g.i,stress tests,thyroid scans,therepy!!!!!!!!!!
i have lost alot of faith in the medical society-- why cant i get an answer? i feel like they arent hearing what im trying to tell them or that they think im IMAGINING it or that im just plain CRAZY!!!!!! i know how i feel and it is so hard to explain to others that have never experienced it!! i have been so afraid that i have some sort of cancer and they just cant find it.im only 30 years old and have 2 terrific sons and a great husband, im afraid of dying and leaving them over this feeling ive been having for almost two years now!
i hardly ever even mention it to my family anymore since there is nothing that they can do about it and no sense in worrying them, but it is always there-never goes away-it may ease up a little but always there. im about at my wits end with it.
thank you for reading this and if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please contact me at ***@**** YOU!
WISH YOU ALL THE BEST-I KNOW HOW YOU ALL FEEL!!!!!!!!!!YOU'RE NOT ALONE
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I don't know if I have esophageal spasms or what?  Within hours after my gallbladder surgery, 3 years ago, I was awakened by this awful pain that started under my ribs and radiated up my chest.  I rang for the nurse and couldn't speak or barely breathe.  I was so frightened I had to practically beg her to take my blood pressure because I thought I was having a heart attack.  The nurse had no bed side manner at all!!  Since then I have had repeated attacks mostly in the night.  I am awakened with my heart racing and the feeling of a stomach ache coming on.  I get up and go to the bathroom and realize that I am having one of these attacks again.  I have severe pain in my chest and cannot breathe or speak.  I sweat profusely and shake and shiver like I'm freezing in between attacks.  They usually last for about 5 hours.  All I can do is sit very still and try my best to take the pain.  I ended up in the er last summer with an attack that started while I was driving home from the grocery store.  Thankfully I had another adult with me and got to the er. My kids thought mommy was going to die. (I sure did feel that way).  anyway, the shot me up with numerous doses of demerol and ativan until the spasms stopped, about 5 hours later.  All kinds of tests were done and the only thing that showed up were my liver enzymes were elevated.  Since then I've had an ERCP and my sphincter was found normal.  they put me on Levsin and a very low dose of ELAVIL.  I still get the onset of these attacks but I take a dose of Levsin and then 10-15 minutes later take a second dose.  Usually the attack does not progress into the severe state.  I am at a loss of what is actually happening to my body during one of these attacks.  I am guessing esophageal spasm maybe?  Could esophageal spasms cause elavated liver enzymes??  Could all this be related to my surgery 3 years ago?   If anyone has experienced this same pattern please feel free to email me with any suggestions or reccomendations.  I suppose I will be living off Levsin for the rest of my life.  I don't ever want to go through one of the attacks again!  I sympathize with everyone!!!
***@****
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my message has not been posted.  It took effort and was a first time thing.
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I had no idea there were so many people with the same symptoms as mine.  I've never visited a health website before   Its mind-boggling.  But my symptoms are EXACTLY the same as E-bays.  No real discomfort, except a general feeling occasionally of nausea, BUT CONSTANT belching  It never stops.  I have had the up and down tests and was diagnosed with Barrets disease.  But as I don't feel any real discomfort except the above and sometimes just plain weariness, I just can't believe this.  

I'm really curious, as e-bay posted his note a year ago, if he has found any relief.  i came to this site hoping to find relief but it seems to be as elusive to y'all as it is to me.  All I've gleaned so far from the site is cutting out all food -- almost -- and taking cayenne, apple pectin, cayenne pepper, axid and pepcid.  Anything else?  I've been the Zantac and Prylosec route and have been on metocloproamide for a few days with no apparent relief.

What happened to e-bay?????
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KTR
I was here quite a few months ago for a similar posting called undiagnosed URQ pain. There were probably hundreds of responses, all the same or similar as these--the reflux, lump in throat, chest pain, etc. My story:

I don't smoke, drink, touch caffeine or artificial sweetners (I'm not some kind of health nut weirdo, I just don't like nutrasweet and caffeine affects me badly). And I drink tons of water and try to stay in shape. Had the flu in Sept. 1999. When I started getting over it, noticed the pressure in the chest that felt like a need to belch. Would relieve it for a few seconds, but repeated belching would just make it worse. Also had lump in throat feeling (on the right side). Dr could not find anything so referred me to ENT, who told me I looked fine but probably have acid reflux and put me on zantac. I had acid reflux problems back in 1995, but this was not the same. I didn't feel any acid coming up at all, but I took the zantac in hopes anyway. At first I thought I was a little better, but then it started to get worse, pressure in chest (on right side, sometimes more center) turning to pain that would radiate to my back; went to ER, and all tests for heart came back normal. was sent to a gastro doc who put me on prilosec. did not help. I had my gall bladder out in Jan 1999, so it wasn't that. Endoscopy said gastritis/GERD, but all other tests came back normal. Upped my dose of prilosec, no better. Upped again, no better. Doc had no clue, didn't even know that the lump in throat thing was considered a symptom of GERD (I had to find that out on the net). Meanwhile, I started to feel achy in my joints about 3 months after all this sarted. Dr finally decided it wasn't my stomach at all but something else that he couldn't help me with, maybe my heart (which i had had tests done and all were fine). I did not go back to that idiot. I weaned myself off the prilosec slowly, as I could no longer digest anything since I was on such a high dose. I had a lot of reflux while doing that. Finally got to the point were I was taking zantac every other day for reflux; chest pains exactly the same as when I was more highly medicated. Sometimes they radiate down my arm, sometimes up into my jaw. I have heard that these can all be symptoms of fibromyalgia, and that CFS is closely related (which would explain lethargy--which I felt at first, too). I never got to the rheumatologist, though, since I got pregnant. So now I am not on anything, (and the pain was unbearable sometimes in the beginning--I was taking all sorts of painkillers before the pregnancy) but as time went on I think I learned to relax a little better, and my reflux eventually went away (though it is back now, but only because I am so far along in the pregnancy).

Here I will put in a note on stress--there is no way I believe that stress caused this horrid thing (I know it came after that flu I had), but it can make it worse--particularly the stress of not knowing what is wrong with you. Therefore, I would recommend an antidepressant to anyone able to take one (I was one one for years for an unrelated condition, and was about to restart taking another before the baby), especially if you are highly anxious about it. Paxil I hear works best for anxiety, but it also comes with a large weight gain (which might work for those of you who have lost weight). If it gives you a little peace of mind, it's worth it. Anyway, since I've been pregnant, my symptoms were much less for the month I was on vacation from my stressful business.

As for diet, I have discovered that ice cream does me in--it seems to be the temperature, not the fat, though. In milkshake form (one of the few things I could keep down during morning sickness) it doesn't bother me at all. Small meals help sometimes, and any form of pepper I am now highly sensitive to (the paprika in cheesits burns my throat); don't know if this is a pregnancy thing or a reflux thing. Fat content doesn't seem to affect it at all, and sometimes the pain comes on when I haven't eaten, although it's more often after I have.

A note on sleep: I always felt really bad when I wasn't getting enough sleep (another fibromyalgia link, possibly). But since I've been pregnant, I have forced myself to get more than adequate amounts and let my business suffer a little instead. I really think this has helped, although that was never my intention!

Anyway, I will check out the fibromyalgia thing as soon as I am able; I still have a couple of months to go before the baby is born. Rheumatoid problems are rampant in my family so I know of a rheumatologist who should listen, I hope, since my mother sees her often. I suggest everyone with a similar problem get evaluated for such a thing if possible, especially if you have achy joints. I have flare up points in my shoulders and hips; but when this started my whole neck and shoulders felt on fire.

I know there are things I'm forgetting, but it's been a long time since I've seen a doctor for this and a while until I can again, so I try not to think about it too much.

Good luck to everyone; remember that just because it didn't work for someone else does not mean it won't work for you. So be willing to try out new things, if they're safe, anyway. Zantac happens to work better for me than pepsid, but when I had my reflux problems 5 years ago, pepsid worked fine. Things change, even for yourself. So be willing to give things a try and don't give up (I came quite close to it before I got pregnant--I was thinking maybe I'd go to medical school and solve the problem myself, but that would take years ;). Try to get more sleep and what the heck, go for massage therapy! Me, I would give up cable tv to be able to afford something like that on a regular basis, if I hadn't already given cable up to afford other things. I read a lot and that relaxes me a great deal, especially now that I have trimmed back my business to allow a little more leisure time. Try to reduce the stress in your life as much as possible, since the stress from this medical problem isn't going away, and you really don't need any more (easier said than done, I know). Again, good luck to everyone and be sure to share any thing that seems to help.
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Avatar universal
Thanks, MHogan for this information.

I am not on BP meds but this will info may help others.  AND, I am finding other meds also may aggravate the Acid Reflux thus
making the patient think the reflux meds are not working and also
some of the Reflux Meds can cause side effects that make a person think they are worse.   This happened with me.

Thank God for sites like this.  We learn a lot.  Thanks again.
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Avatar universal
hi, i have acid reflux to.IF YOU ARE TAKING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICINE AND HAVE ACID REFLUX,DON'T TAKE CALCIUM BLOCKER. I WAS TAKING NORVASC FOR BLOOD PRESSURE. AND IT CAUSE ME TO HAVE A FAST HEART BEAT AND CAUSE MY ACID REFLUX TO  GET WORSE.
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Avatar universal
I can relate to Carol Bond's post about the torture she went through having the colonoscopy.

I also suffered torture and humility and basically was demoralized by the gastro doc, during a recent colonoscopy. I was suppose to be on versed and demerol with phenergam and this jerk decided to use fentynal with something else. I felt everything and cried out in pain.  I felt my rights as a patient per the AMA's Code of Ethics were violated.  

Every patient has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.  I pray that this doctor and  the other jerks out there, have a time when they are placed in similar positions.  Then, they will know how we felt.

When my hubby had his colonoscopy a few weeks later by a different doctor (colon and rectal spec), the doctor told me that he would make sure my hubby was comfortable.  And, he did.  It was a breeze for him becuz the right meds were used apparently, and he had a wonderful and caring doctor.

Off my band wagon.

I am still suffering greatly with upper back burning and shorness of breath and burning reflux.  The Jerk that also did the EGD along with the colonoscopy does not know how to communicate with the patient.  Needless to say, this does not help a patient getting well or at least better.  I have tried the 3 proton pump inhibitors meds but to no avail.  This doc said I would feel better in 3 days and after 5 days he would switch me to another.

Well, I think I need to switch to another...Another doctor that  is. (-:  

I love reading this site (but do not love that so many here are suffering) as it provides other alternatives that people have tried and are trying. Networking is so important with other patients suffering the same and a GOOD Understanding Physican is the Frosting on the Cake.

May 2001 Be Healthier For All Of Us!






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